NAME:  Deborah J

CITY:  Humble

OCCUPATION:
Technology Instructional Specialist/Teacher

MEMBER SINCE:
November 2007

REASON FOR JOINING BIG TEXAS SUN CLUB:
To contribute to the installation of solar/energy-saving projects.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE BIG TEXAS SUN CLUB?
The informative newsletters.  (Note from the Editor: She really did say this!)

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:
Grand kids, reading mysteries and traveling.

FAVORITE “GREEN” ACTIVITY:
Taking the stairs.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT SOLAR POWER:
It is clean.  I want clean air for my kids and grand kids to breathe.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT LIVING IN TEXAS:
The Texas Longhorns, saying y’all and the best food in the entire world; chicken fried steak, bar-b-q, fried Gulf shrimp and Mexican food.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR HOUSEHOLD ECO-FRIENDLY?
By paying attention to the daily activities of running a household such as turning off the lights when we leave a room and only running our dishwasher when it is full.  The little things add up.

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HOUSTON YOUTH CELEBRATE NEW ON-CAMPUS SOLAR ARRAY

Chinquapin School, Highlands

Chinquapin School has gone solar! The non-profit college-preparatory school that provides high-quality education to able and motivated economically disadvantaged youths in the Houston area is now the proud owner of a 3.2 kW solar array. The array is mounted on the school’s LEED-certified faculty duplex, which was designed by Chinquapin students to serve as a model for sustainable design. The Green Moun­tain Energy^® Solar at Chinquapin School is expected to generate enough pollution-free electricity to power approximately 30% of the building’s annual electrical usage and offset nearly 8,300 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO₂) each year. That’s the environmental equivalent of turning off the lights in nearly 2,400 houses for a day!

Please click here for more information about this solar array and all of the others installed thanks to our dedicated members.

Have you heard of Green Mountain’s newest product that encourages the development of renewable energy in Texas? The Renewable Rewards program offers credit to Texas residential customers who install solar arrays or other renewable generation facilities at their homes for any excess energy that their qualifying facility sends to the electricity grid.

Green Mountain believes it was the first electricity provider in the Texas competitive market to offer this kind of buy-back program.  If your home is partially powered by solar or wind, or you are thinking about installing a renewable energy system, go to www.greenmountain.com/renewablerewards to learn more about this innovative program and how you can join.

Name: Jordan F.

City: Houston, TX

Occupation: Business Development

Member Since: 2009

Reason for joining the Big Texas Sun Club: I work for a major installer of solar around the country and so it’s become my passion. The Big Texas Sun Club is a great organization that helps educate the public about solar power and also helps non-profits lower their utility bills.

Hobbies/Interests: Running, my dogs, college football, science

Environmental Goals for 2009: Lower my personal carbon footprint

Favorite “green” activity: Making houses more energy efficient

Favorite thing about solar power: It’s the best and most reliable distributed source of clean, green energy available.

Favorite thing about living in Texas: Great food, great people, great Texas attitude

How do you reduce your carbon footprint on a daily basis? Through my job because my company helps homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and installs more solar systems than anyone in Texas.  I also ride my bike to work when I can.

What do you like most about being a member of the Big Texas Sun Club? It is helping to install more solar in Texas.

How do you keep your household eco-friendly? I keep several recycling bins around so I can easily sort through paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass and minimize the amount of trash I produce.

The 758 photovoltaic panel system trumps the Fort Sam Houston solar array, which was previously the largest in Texas.  But Pearl didn’t stop their green efforts with solar.  The Full Goods Building is one of the first LEED certified buildings in San Antonio, incorporating a rainwater collection system, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, and drought-resistant landscaping.

The 22-acre Pearl development blends old-town history with urban renewal, providing a cultural haven for the green at heart to shop, eat, work, and play. For more information about Pearl Brewery, visit www.pearlbrewery.com.

Source: http://www.pearlbrewery.com/press/PDFs/MySA_solarpdf

Make it easier for guests to find your home with these solar-powered address numbers.  The numbers convert sunlight into electricity and can hold up to 1,000 hours of stored energy, visible while illuminated from over 100 feet away. With waterproof backing and no wiring required, they can be easily installed just about anywhere using two simple screws.

Visit www.greenmountain.com/powerperks for hundreds of energy-saving products like this one.

Use coupon code POWER10 to save 10% off your entire order.

http://www.energyfederation.org/powerperks/default.php/cPath/1094_851

These three installations are scheduled for the remainder of 2009 and, once they take place, we will have reached our goal installing 10 arrays this year! The planning committee is currently selecting our solar recipients for 2010, so look in the next edition of the Solar Sentinel to learn where they will be.  In addition, we are already accepting applications for 2011 solar donations. If you know of a worthy non-profit that would be interested in owning a solar array and promoting renewable energy to the community, encourage them to fill out an application at www.bigtexasusnclub.com.

First Solar Array in the Dallas County Community College District

Eastfield College, Mesquite

About the array:

• Dedicated Sept. 2, 2009
• 4.4kW
• Will offset almost 11,500 pounds of carbon dioxide (C0₂) annually.
• This has the same environmental impact of not driving a car over 12,500 miles annually or planting nearly 700 trees a year
• Estimated that the array will save the college more than $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime
• Incorporated into the learning curriculum and will help educate students about the benefits of solar energy and the technical aspects of installing an array

About Eastfield College:

• Eastfield College has been serving the Mesquite, Garland and East Dallas community since 1970
• Works to provide educational opportunities through high-quality instruction, services and programs in an environment conducive to student success in academic, technical, occupational, and continuing education
• Visit www.eastfieldcollege.edu for more information

One of the Largest Arrays in the Rio Grande Valley

Texas State Technical College, Harlingen

About the array:

• Dedicated Sept. 4, 2009
• 10.08kW
• Will produce over 19,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy annually
• Will offset almost 27,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually
• Same environmental impact of not driving a car more than 29,000 miles
• One of the largest arrays in the Rio Grande Valley
• Estimated that the array will save the college more than $300,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime
• Will help educate students about the benefits of solar energy and train the next generation of solar installers

About Texas State Technical College, Harlingen:

• Enrollment of more than 6,000 students
• Grants diplomas in more than 30 programs across its Industrial-Manufacturing, Computer Information Systems and Allied Health divisions
• Offers a 48-credit Academic Core package of basic courses transferable to all four-year public universities in Texas.
• Visit www.harlingen.tstc.edu for more information

First Solar-powered Girl Scouts Headquarters in Texas

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Houston

About the array:

• Dedicated Sept. 12, 2009
• 10.08kW
• Expected to produce more than 19,000 kWh of electricity a year
• Reduce nearly 27,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually
• This is equivalent to not driving nearly 30,000 miles, or planting about 1,600 trees
• Estimated that the array will save the Girl Scouts more than $300,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime
• On-site display will help educate Girl Scouts and visitors about the benefits of solar energy

About Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council:

• Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the country serving more than 65,000 girl members and 17,000 adults in 26 southeast Texas counties.
• Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
• Visit www.gssjc.org for more information.

Please visit www.bigtexassunclub.com for more information about these and all of the other solar arrays installed to date thanks to our dedicated members.